Feeder



J. C. SCHAFFER.

FEEDER.

' PPLICATION FILED IAN. 2l, 191B. 31,419,945., Patelleqlllle 20, 192.2.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

N M/l` /flli 1 attorney J. C. SCHAFFER.

FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 21.. 1.918.

' Patlltod June 20, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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am c scnarrnn or TIFFIN, onro, AssIGNon. To somma ENGINnnnINea nenrrnnn'r oo., 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENN- SYLVANI.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 2b, 1922.

Application led January 21,` 1918. 'Serial No. 213,112.

To all whom t may concern: Beit known that I, JOHN' C. SCHAFFER, a citizen of the United States of America, residingl at Tiliin, Seneca County, Ohio, have invented a newl and useful Feeder,'of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for re ulating the flow of material.

'his invention hasutility when incorporated with material supply 'and delivery Referring to thedrawings Y Fig. 1 1s a side elevation, with parts broken away of an embodiment of the 1nvention; Y- A Fig. 2 is a wiring diagram of the electrlc control connections; c Fig. 3 is a detail in side elevatlon, with cover plate removed, of thel controlswltch'; Fig. 4 is a detail, with parts broken away, of the control switch shifted to the opposite position from the showing of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line V -V Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; and.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation ofthe supply way of the hopper or chute, with parts broken away to show the 'relation of the parts'durin material flow.` e service or electric supply may be through alternating current three phase Y lines '1, 2, 3, respectlvely connected by lines 3', 4, 5, to terminals so that by the throwing of switch 6 current may be supplied to the linesl 7, 8, 9. The line 7 extends to the terminal 10, adjacent the insulated rotatable disk 12 mounted on the shaft 13 carrying the contact'plate 14. .This contact plate 14l mayywhen shifted to the' position opposite the showing `in Fig. 4, close the circuit from the terminal 10 to the terminal 15, for flow through the line 16 to the three-phase motor 17.vv The line 8 extends directly to this motor. The line 9 extends to the terminall 18 which in the position of the parts of the switch in Fig. 3 coacts with the contact 1,9 ofv the insulated disk 2O on the shaft 13 for closing circuit through the terminal 21 and ings 31 mounted in the frame 32. The shaft 26 is mounted in bearings 33 alsocarried b theframe 32. Mounted on this 'frame 32 1s the supplemental frame 3 4 carrying`\the rollers 35 for anti-frictienally the conveyor belt 28 below the or supply -Way '36 mounted on lby the supplementaryframe 37, 38, 39.

The upper slack reach vozf. the conveyor` belt hopper chute 28. is'4 yieldably sustained` remote from the rollers 35 by the idler pulley 40 carried by the lever 41 mounted in the fulcru'm bracket 42.

The short arm of this lever 41 is connected i by the linkage 43 to the scale'beam 44 in this compound lever weighing system' provided with tie ad ustable weight 4 5, and the fulcrum 6.

toward and from the conveyor belt 28 to vary the liowrate of material from through Vthe opening 51. l

This supply way 36 has therein the shaft 52 upon which is. mounted the vane 53 as a yielda-ble or movable wall in the supply way directed in the way of material flow and in its suspension movable to restrict the throat or voutlet of the upper chute portion of the supply'vvay. This yielding or restricting action isV controlled by the vweights 54 adjustable by set screws 55. carried by the arms 56 fast with the shaft 52.v This compressing action) upon the material during its flow 1s efective, especially with ilulfy materials to reduce the flow angle thereof. In instances where the device of this disclosure is used, say in the handling of lime after passing through a pulverizer or mill from burning, there is a substance very freely flowing due to its excessive` air content. Adjusting of the squeezing action at the throat by the vane 53 has such aquieting tendency upon this stock tochange its state from a freely iiowing liufy stream to a more or'less firm or yclammy mass, so that its passage onfthrough this supply way of the hopper or chute is readily controlled by the opening 51 for the frame `32 he linkage may adjust thescale beam so that its pointer 47 is at the desired posltionof equilibrium on the graduations 48. The'short arm of this scale beam 44 is connected by the link 49` to the anti-frictionally slidablegate 50 automatically reciprocable theyhopper positioningA 5,0 is disposed the third or controller gate.

or vane 57, mounted on the shaft 58 rovlded with the arms 59 carrying the wei ts 60 as loading means for the vane adjusta le thereon b the set screws 61. This vane has ,its weig ts 60 so adjusted that in the.I normal flow of the material, the vane57 is swung or` material and the motor 17 is connected for driving the weighing belt 28 for the maintenance of uniform flow of material from the supply way 36.

Should this flow of material decrease, the weightsI 60 will swing the vane 57 toward the direction of material flow and the action of the drag link 65 will effect a quick throw of the shaft 67 past its medial or dead point and in this quick throw move the arm 69 having the spring connection 70 with the arm 71 on the shaft 13 to give a snap throw to this shaft 13. This means that if the material supply permits only a gradual swinging back of the vane 57, there is insured through said control' means actuable from the vane a positive and quick throw of the contact carrying disks 12 and 20 by the shaft 13 so that the `motor 17 is quickly cut out. This cutting out of the motor 17 throws the contact 72 on the disk 12, Figs. 2 and 4, so that the terminals 73, 74, are closed. The terminal 73 is connected by line 75 with the supply line 3, while this contact 72, in connecting to terminals 74,'permits flow through the line 76, coil 77, and line 7 8 to the supply line 2, thereby completing the circuit through the coil 77 energizing the coil for moving the rockable arm 78 against the resistance of spring 79 so that the arm vibrates to pound the Wall of the hopper 36 and loosen any material which may be caught or clinging to the walls of the bin or supply way 36.

If there be no material in this supplyway,

the vibrator will continue to operate, while the conveyor belt is at rest. However, should there be material which will come down past the vane 53, and act upon the vane 57, this action of thel material on the vane 57 will rock the shaft 67 for a quick throw in the opposite direction say from the osition shown in Fig. 1 to the positions-own in Fig. 6, thus shifting the shaft 67 and its arm 69 to the position shown in Fig. 4, opening the circuitbetween the lines 75, 76, by moving the contact 72 away from circuit closing position. This will stop the vibrator arm 7 8 butwill simultaneously connect the motor 17 for operating the conveyor belt 28. In

some instances, it may be desirable to test out portions of the apparatus, or say operate the vibrator arm 78 manually. This can be effected through the push button switch 8O closing the circuit between the lines 81, 82,

connected respectively to the lines 75, 76.

In the event it is desired to start the motor 17 independently of the action of the automatic means herein,the switch 83 may be used to close the circuit from the lines 7, 9, respectively to the lines 16, 22.`

This apparatus is'one of a simple form, effective for maintaining automatically a uniform flow of material and insuring that such flow of material may not be spasmodlc lor rush past the gates for disturbing the flow rate, which flow rate is definite and actually determined by-the travel of 'the belt 28. Y

What is claimed and it isidesired to secure by United States Letters Patent is 1. A material supply way, and a pair of vanes separately mounted in said way, one of said vanes being provided with means for acting directly on the material in affecting the flow thereof, and the other vane having independent means indirectly acted on by the material for affecting the flow thereof.

2. A material supplyLway, a vane in said way, loading means normally affected by the material flow from said way and first flow changing means for affecting flow to the way, second fiow changing means for affecting flow from the way, and mechanism actuable by the vane for controlling both material flow from said way, an endless conveyor for removing material from the Way,

a motor for actuating the conveyor, and

means' operable by movement of the vane for controlling the motor to drive the conveyor.

4. A material supply way, a vane in said way, leading means normally aiected by the material How from said way, a vibrator above the vane for shaking the material down the supply way to the vane, a conveyor for removing material from the way, a motor for actuating the conveyor, and a switch operable by movement of the vane for stopping the vibrator and starting the motor when the material flow shifts the vane.

5. A material supply wa including a chute, a suspended vane pivotal y mounted in said chute for Swingin past a vertical position in the chute, welghted means tending swing the vane past vertical position toward a side wall in the chute to restrict outlet from said chute, said mounting of the vane being such that on one side of vertical position the weight thrown vane is in positlon to support material and on the other side of such vane driven by the material to the other side ofsaid vertical position.

7. A material supply way, a vane in said 15 way positioned by material flow, a vibrator above the vane for agitating the material supplied to said way, and means connected with and actuable by the vane for actuating the Vibrator upon failure of material flow to 20 position the Vane.

In witness whereof 1 aiix my slgnature.

JOHN o. SCHAFFER. 

